Trestle



H. REDLER Sept. 14, 1954 TRESTLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28, 1952INVENTOR- rvfiIP/PV 3 5.2452

BY M ATTORNEY:

H. REDLER Sept. 14, 1954 TRESTLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 28, 1952INVENTOR #Awkr X 5245?- ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 14, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRESTLE HarryRedler, North Castle, N. Y. Application March 28, 1952, Serial No.279,030

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to trestles of the type which includes ahorizontally disposed beam supported at each of its opposite ends by apair of diverging legs.

Trestles of the above type are extensively employed by such artisans ascarpenters, plasterers, painters, paper-hangers and various otherworkmen in pursuing their respective trades.

Ordinarily trestles of the above character are so constructed'that theirrespectively included beams and beam-supporting legs are permanentlyassembled in a fixed relation to each other with the result that suchtrestles obviously present extremely difficultstorage and shippingproblems because of their excessive space requirements.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improvedtrestle which is so constructed as to enable it to be readily reduced toa highly compact unit requiring relatively little storage or shippingspace but yet capable of being easily conditioned for use as a sturdy,rigid and dependable piece of equipment to be employed in the above andother fields of endeavor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a trestleembodying this invention and illustrating the same as conditioned foruse,

Fig. 2 is an exploded view showing in perspective various elementsentering into the structure appearing in Figure 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 1 andshowing one of the legunits in anchored engagement with the trestlebeam,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 and showing the leg-unit inopen position as when being released from the trestle beam or as whenconditioned to'receive such beam incident to the carrying out of thetrestle-assembling operation,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on a plane passing transversely throughthe trestle beam by way of one of the angle brackets included in thatbeam as one of its components,

Fig. 6 is a view showing in elevation one of the leg-units in acollapsed condition, and

Fig. 7 is a view showing in elevation the legunit of Figure 6 as itwould appear from the right therein.

The trestle herein illustrated as embodying the present inventionincludes a horizontal beam, indicated in its entirety by the numeral I0,and a pair of leg-units which are identical in construction and are eachdesignated as a whole by the numeral II. As will hereinafter moreclearly appear, the beam I0 and leg-units II-II are of such constructionthat they may be quickly and easily assembled, with reference to eachother, into a complete trestle ready for use and thereafterdisassembled, as occasion may require, to reduce the trestle to aknocked down condition in the interest of convenience in storageorshipment.

Referring to the beam III in detail, it will be noted that such beamincludes an angle-iron stringer I2, to the depending flange of which areWelded or otherwise suitably connected a pair of angle-iron bracketsI3-I3. These brackets are located relatively near the opposite ends ofthe stringer I2 and are so disposed that their upper flanges lie flushwith the oppositely extending flange of that stringer. To the stringerI2 and its associated brackets I3-I3, there is connected an appropriatewood facing member I4 which is of a length at least equal to andpreferably slightly longer than the stringer, the facing member, whichis of substantial width and thickness, being provided with a pluralityof bolt holes adapted to register with those provided in the stringerand its associated brackets, as will be readily understood from aninspection of Figure 2, so that the facing member may be convenientlyanchored in place by a plurality of bolts, of which two are shown mostclearly, in Figure 5 and there indicated by the numeral I5. As shownmost clearly in Figures 1 and 2, the depending flange of the stringer I2is provided at each of its opposite ends with a pair of relatively shortlock-pins I6, each of which is securely anchored to the stringer flange,as by a press fit therein, and

projects outwardly to a substantial extent beyond opposite faces of saidflange as will be readily understood from an inspection of Figures 3 and4.

Referring to the leg-units II--II, it will be noted that each of themincludes a pair of collapsible angle-iron legs I'I-I'l, which, whenattached to the beam I2, extend downwardly and outwardly from the beamin a diverging relation to each other, as shown in Figure 1. From thatfigure it will be noted that the pair of leg-units III I, when attachedto the beam I2,

. apparent, of course, that stability of the assembled trestle isenhanced by reason of the above mentioned diverging relationship of thelegs I 'I-- I1 and of the leg-units II-I I.

Each of the angle iron legs I1 is so arranged that its included flangesare presented as outer leg-surfaces when the trestle is conditioned foruse as shown in Figures 1. Preferably the legs I! are equipped at theirlower ends with suitable cushioning elements such as wood blocks l8,which are detachably held anchored between the leg flanges by ordinaryscrews so as to permit renewal of the blocks if and when such removalbecomes necessary. The legs l'l-ll of each leg-unit II are cut on abevel at their upper ends and are there welded to a pair of clamp platesl9-l9, each of which is provided with a pair of anchor holes 20-20spaced from each other in accordance with the spacing of adjacentlock-pins lG-IB. In order to lend strength and finish to the legs I l inthe vicinity of their junctures with the clamp plates l9, each of saidlegs is provided with a triangular-shape gusset 2|, as shown mostclearly in Figures 1 and 2. The leg-gussets are welded to the edgemargins of the respective unbeveled leg flanges and are in turn weldedat their inner edge margins to the respective clamp plates I9.

In order that the leg units ll-II may be readily attached to anddetached from the beam ill, the legs I! of each of said units arepivotally connected together at their upper ends by a pair ofhinge-links 22 and are similarly connected together at pointssubstantially midway of their lengths by a well known type of toggleunit which includes a pair of toggle arms 23. The hinge-links 22 are sopivotally connected to each other at their overlapping ends as to thereprovide a relatively stiif hinge-like joint and are so pivotallyconnected at their opposite ends to the legs I I-I'! of the respectiveleg-units H as to there provide a relatively free hinge-like joint. Hereit is to be noted that the hinge-links 22-22 are of such length thatthey of necessity move from a pronounced oiT-set or broken position, asshown in Figure 4, into only a slightly off-set or broken position, asshown in Figure 3, during such time as the respective leg units ll-H arebeing attached to the beam II! when conditioning the trestle for use.The slightly off-set or broken position just mentioned in connectionwith the hinge-links 22 plays an important part under certainconditions, as will hereinafter more clearly appear, in increasing theclamping action which is exerted on the beam In by the legunits ll afterthe trestle is conditioned for use. Referring again to the toggle arms23-23, it will be noted that such arms are pivotally connected to eachother at their overlapping ends and are likewise connected at theiropposite .ends to the legs ll-ll of the respective leg-units ll. Here itis to be observed that the toggle arms 23-23 are of such length thatthey move from a pronounced off-set or broken position, as shown inFigure 2, into a position of alignment with each other, as shown inFigure 1, during such time as the respective leg-units lI-ll are beingattached to the beam l when conditioning the trestle for use. In orderthat the toggle arms 23-23 may be limited to a position of alignmentwith each other as they are being moved from broken position, as shownin Figure 2, into locking position, as shown in Figure 1, each pair oftoggle arms is equipped with a keeper 24 in the form of a short lengthof angle iron, one flange of which is pivotally connected to said armsat their over-lapping ends and the other flange of which so overliessuch arms as to engage them as they move into alignment with each other.

From the foregoing, it becomes apparent that the trestle embodying thisinvention may be readily conditioned for use, as shown in Figure 1, byintroducing the opposite ends of the beam stringer I2 into the spaceafforded between the clamp plates l9-l9, as shown in Figure 4, and then,by aid of the toggle arms 23-23, causing the legs I'I-l'l of the legunits I 1- to so move outwardly at their lower ends as to urge theirupper ends inwardly, thus causing the clamp plates to move into intimateclamping engagement with the depending flange of said stringer 12. Inthis connection it will be understood, of course, that as the clampplates 19-19 move inwardly towards each other, the lock pins Iii-l6,which are carried by the stringer l2, enter the anchor holes 20-20, withwhich said plates are provided, and there serve to establish a highlyefiective interlocking connection between said stringer and therespective leg-units H-l l, the connection thus aii'orded and theaforementioned clamping efiect that is exerted on the depending stringerflange being collectively utilized to insure rigidity, safety andreliability of the trestle as a unitary structure.

Now, after having described generally the manner in which the leg-unitslI-ll are clamped to the beam l0, it becomes apparent that since thehinge links 22-22 assume a slight ly off-set position with respect toeach other, as when the trestle is assembled as shown in Figure 1, suchlinks are free to adjust themselves to such further slight ofi-setposition as might be prompted when a relatively heavy'load is placed onthe trestle beam 10 and thereupon so transmitted, by way of thelock-pins [6, to the upper ends of the legs I'l-I'I, as to cause suchends to move downwardly and inwardly towards each other and thereby urgetheir associated clamp plates I9-I9 into a more intimate clampingengagement with the depending. flange of the stringer [2, especiallyalong its areas of contact with the extreme upper margins of saidplates. Aside from the advantage just described in connection with thehinge links 22-22, it is to be further observed that since these linksare normally off-set with reference to "each other, they are obviouslyfree to adjust themselves transversely in one direction or the otherfrom their position shown, for example, in Figure 3, in order that ahighly effective clamping engagement may be attained as between theclamp plates l9-l9 and the depending flange of the stringer l2 eventhough the angle iron from which such stringers are fabricated were tovary in flangethickness to a substantial extent within reasonablelimits.

From the foregoing description of the trestle herein shown, it becomesapparent that the legunits ll-ll may be readily detached from the beam[0 by simply breaking the toggle arms 23-23 out of their leg-lockingpositions and thereupon collapsing the leg-units, as illustrated inFigure 6, so that they together with said beam may be convenientlystored, shipped or otherwise transported as a compact unit in knockeddown condition.

\J ranged in pairs and protruding from opposite sides of the flange; apair of metal leg units each comprising a pair of legs, each leg havingsecured at its top a metal plate extending laterally of opposite sidesof the leg and angularly disposed with relation to the leg axis, each ofsaid plates having a pair of openings adjacent its upper edge and ofsuch size and location as to closely engage said pins, said legs beingfoldably connected intermediate their ends by a hinged toggle unit andat their upper ends closely adjacent said plates by a pair of linkspivoted together and to said legs, the length of said links being suchthat they are movable from a pronounced offset position with relation toeach other when the legs are folded to a slightly offset position whensaid plates are in flange-clamping position, whereby said plates arefree to move into tighter clamping position on said depending flangewhen Weight is applied to the trestle, the interlocking engagement ofsaid plates with said depending flange and said pins providing the onlysupport for said legs relative to said beam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date Re. 23,097 Imes Apr. 12, 1949 304,207 Langlais Aug. 26, 1884657,648 Davidson Sept. 11, 1900 872,722 Fravel Dec. 3, 1907 1,261,007Beardsley Apr. 2, 1918 1,501,088 Anderson July 15, 1924 1,636,342 WhelanJuly 19, 1927 1,961,760 Hamren June 5, 1934 2,158,939 Hussey May 16,1939 2,343,557 Johnson Mar. 7, 1944 2,551,062 Skar May 1, 1951 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 364,291 Great Britatin Jan. 7, 1932

